Food-display cabinet



Novf 18, R. T. ALMENBERG FOOD DISPLAY CABINET Fil'ed May 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS Nov. 18, 1924- 1,516,404

R. T. PALMENBERG v FOOD DISPLAY CABINET Filed May 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 151 13.

/ 1mm WITNESSES fig ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND THEODORE IPALMENBERG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO J. R. PAL- MENBERGS SONS, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FOOD-DISPLAY CABINET.

Application filed May 5, 1923. Serial No. 636,886.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND T. PALMEN- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Food-Display Cabinet, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to cabinets for display purposes and particularly to an improved cabinet for displaying food which will comply with th sanitary laws of various states and has for an object to present a construction wherein the cabinet will not only comply with the usual sanitary laws but which may be easily operated by patrons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display and vending cabinet for food which will enclose the food normally and thereby comply with the sanitary laws now in force but which will present a structure wherein part of the enclosing structure may be moved to one side readily by a patron to secure access to the food.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet in which a sliding and ivotally mounted door is used for normally closing the cabinet but arranged to be readily operated by one hand so as to be moved to an open or closed position quickly.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet constructed according to the present invention.-

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through Figure 1 approximately on line 22, certain parts being broken away for better illustrating the construction of the door and the runways therefor.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through Figure 1 approximately on line 38, the door being shown in an open position.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 but showing the door closed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numeral, 1 indicates a bottom compartment while 2 and 3 indicate upper compartments, said upper compartments being designed to receive supplies of food in storage. The upper compartments as well as the lower compartment 1, are open at the rear but closed on all other sides. These compartments are formed by a framework 4 of any desired material, as for instance, metal, together with different panes of glass which act as walls and also partitions.

In the State of New York and elsewhere, various sanitary laws have been enacted which require food to be protected. Some of these sanitary laws provide that the food be enclosed on at least three sides as well as top and bottom where they are on display but .not for sale. In self-service eating houses, it has been customary heretofore to arrange the food on open shelves or tables and allow the patrons to select the food they desired. By reason of the sanitary laws above mentioned, this practice has been stopped as only food for immediate sale is permitted to be unprotected.

In the present instance, the compartments 2 and 3 may be of any desired structure to comply with any of the sanitary laws now in force as they merely display food. The compartment 1 is provided with end glass members though some other form of material might be used while the rear is maintained open. This compartment is intended to contain food for immediate sale or for almost immediate sale. At the front, a door- 5 has been provided which is supplied with a glass panel so that the food may be readily observed and when the patron wishes to take possession of any of the food, the door is opened by an actuation of the handle 6 and the desired food secured. When the door is opened, it assumes substantially the position shown in Figure 3. The patron may open the door by using one hand only and if desired, may close the door in a similar manner. The door 5 is not only provided with a glass panel but a frame 7 of any desired material, as for instance, metal, said frame at each end carrying pins 8 and 9 adapted to operate in the runways or guideways 10 and 11 at each end of the cabinet. The runway 10 is formed by utilizing part of the frame 4 as the top guiding member and by a strip 12 as the bottom guiding member. If desired, a stop 13 may be arranged in this runway for limiting the inward movement of the door so that the handle 6 will not strike the frame i. When the respective pins 8 strike the stops 13 at each end of the cabinet, the pins 9 will be resting in the curved support 14 which acts in a limited capacity as a catch for locking the pins 9 against accidental movement. The runway 11 is formed partly by the frame 4 and partly by.a strip of metal 15 fastened to the frame 4: at its upper end which strip may be metal or other material and which is preferably provided with a resilient section 16 at the bottom normally partially closing the runway as shown in Figure 3 whereby when the pin 9 moves downwardly, it must spread or move this section to one side before the door can move to its completely closed position as shown in Figure 4. This arrangement of spring at each end of the cabinet presents a cushioning structure for cushioning the closing action of the door without retarding substantially the speed of closing.

If desired, the door could be moved manually for closing for part of the distance and then allowed to drop the remaining part and the resilient section 16 would prevent any breaking or any considerable noise. When it is desired to secure access to the contents of the compartment 1, handle 6 is grasped and the door pulled upwardly and at the same time the handle (5 is pulled out wardly somewhat whereupon the pin 8 will enter into the guideway 10 and move toward the stop 13, which movement is augmented by a push at the proper time. hen it is desired to close the door, a reverse movement is gone through except that the door may be released and allowed to drop by gravity after it has been moved a certain distance toward a closed position.

What I claim is 1- 1. In a food display cabinet, a compartment provided with a door, a pair of runways, a pin at each end of the door extending to each of the runways, one of said runways being formed with a resilient section normally closing part of the runways, one of the pins ext-ending from each end of the door acting on said resilient section as the door is being closed in such a manner as to retard the closing of the door.

2. In a food display cabinet of the character described, means forming a compartment having a pair of facing vertical runways, each of said runways being provided with a resilient member forming one side thereof for part of its length, a door for said compartment, and a pin connected with said door for each of said runways, said pins acting to flex said resilient section as the door is closed, said flexing causing a retarding of the closing action so that the door will not be appreciably jarred.

RAYMOND THEODORE PALMENBERG. 

